A Quilter’s Guide to Choosing Fabric for Quilting

Hello, my quilty friends!

You know that moment when you walk into a quilt shop, and all the colors, prints, and textures hit you like a warm, cotton-scented hug? Yeah, same. Choosing fabric for a quilt is one of my favorite parts of the whole process—it’s like curating a tiny art gallery that you get to cut up and sew back together into something beautiful.

But if you’ve ever stared down a wall of bolts and thought, “Wait… am I actually supposed to know what I’m doing here?”—you’re not alone. Picking fabric can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to match a vibe, a pattern, or just the very specific energy of your stash.

So today we’re diving into the wonderful world of fabric for quilting—what to look for, what to avoid, and how to choose fabric that makes your quilt (and your heart) sing.

Quilting Cotton: The MVP

Let’s start with the basics. If quilting fabric had a royal family, 100% quilting cotton would wear the crown, sit on the throne, and rule the land with a rotary cutter scepter.

Why? Because quilting cotton is:

• Durable but soft
• Easy to press and sew
• Stable (aka it won’t stretch out and betray you mid-block)
• Designed specifically for quilting, so it’s ready for whatever FPP or HST you throw at it

You’ll find it in all our curated fabric bundles, yardage & panels, and pre-cut quilt kits—because I only carry fabric that I actually want to sew with.

Prewash or Nah?

Okay, let’s talk about the age-old debate: to prewash or not to prewash?

Personally, I’m in the “only when necessary” camp. If I’m mixing dark reds with low-volume whites—or using a fabric that feels extra stiff or smells like it’s been living in a warehouse—I’ll throw it in the wash first.

Prewashing helps:

• Prevent shrinkage
• Avoid color bleeding
• Remove finishing chemicals

But it also:

• Takes time
• Makes your fabric less crisp (which can affect cutting/precision)
• Involves more laundry, and I didn’t sign up for that

So it really comes down to your fabric, your project, and your tolerance for pre-quilt chores. (Just don’t prewash precuts unless you really love chaos.)

Solids, Prints, and Playing Nice

Now for the fun stuff: color and pattern. Should you go all solids? All prints? A spicy mix?

Here’s what I like to do:

• Use solids to ground a busy quilt or give your eyes a place to rest
• Mix large-scale prints with small-scale ones to create balance
• Keep an eye on value contrast (aka light vs dark) to help your blocks pop
• Pick a “hero print” and build a palette around it like you’re curating a quilty outfit

If you need a head start, our fabric bundles are color-coordinated and precut for easy pairing. Or try one of our quilt kits—they take the guesswork out of fabric matching, so you can focus on the fun stuff (like chain piecing with your fave podcast in the background).

Shopping Tips from a Fabric Enabler

Some friendly (enabling) advice:

• Trust your gut. If you see a fabric and feel an immediate emotional attachment, that’s your sign.
• Buy a smidge extra. Future-you might want to use it in binding, backing, or a scrappy project down the road.
• Mix designers + collections. You don’t have to stay within one line. Let your stash mingle and make new friends.

And if you're not ready to commit to a whole quilt, try dipping your toes into one of our pillowcase kits. They’re quick, fun, and still give you that rush of choosing and cutting fabric—without the 60" x 80" commitment.

Other Fabrics: Yay or Nay?

Can you quilt with linen, flannel, voile, lawn, or even knits? Technically yes—but there are some things to consider.

• Linen: Gorgeous texture but more fray-prone
• Flannel: Cozy but bulky (and it shrinks more)
• Voile/Lawn: Light and dreamy but slippery
• Knits: ...I mean, go off if you want to wrestle that in your feed dogs, but I’ll be over here with my quilting cotton

If you're mixing fabrics, always test how they wash and behave together first. (And maybe keep a chocolate reward handy for when things get wild.)

Final Thoughts from My Fabric-Loving Soul

At the end of the day, quilting is about joy. About making. About wrapping your creativity around someone you love (even if that someone is you).

So don’t stress too much about the “rules.” Learn what you like. Experiment. Pet the fabric. Hoard it a little. Then cut into it with confidence and know that every stitch is part of your story.

Because the best fabric for quilting? It's the one that makes you want to quilt.

Happy making (and may your stash be color-coded and chaos-free),

🩵 Holly